My Goodness, Where Did All These Crazy People Come From?

Chad Brown, 34, of Ankeny, had been party co-chairman since March. He said he resigned his position on Aug. 5. His resignation letter is below. Brown said in a phone interview that he became disgusted by a party he believes is being run by the Christian right and the National Rifle Association. He cited Congressman Steve King's recent, controversial comments on illegal immigrants as an example of his philosophical conflict with the party. "No one's really stood out to really fight him on those. I think they're hateful statements," he said. King made national news with his comment that illegal immigrants were more likely to be drug traffickers "with calves the size of cantaloupes" than valedictorians. Brown said he also believes the party "has declared war on science and common sense," by denying global climate change. He said he also was offended by statements from some party leaders that he felt glorified gun violence.

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Hey, Chad, all due etc. to your principled stand here in giving up a position you've had for five months, but where ya been, dude? Steve King's been saying crazy shit since he got elected 10 years ago. The last winner of the vaunted Iowa Straw Poll was Michele Bachmann. (Pat Robertson won in 1987.) All of these processes that now both you were well under way when you signed up -- probably because it was nice to be on the winning side. Can't blame you there. That elderly horse that you noticed, however, has been out of the barn since before you were born.